NEW POLICE STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 23, 27 January 1934, Page 12

NEW POLICE STATION

A PETONE REQUEST

MINISTER SYMPATHETIC

An undertaking that he would visit Petone on Monday or Tuesday next in connection, with the matter was given by the Minister of Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) to. a deputation .which waited upon him yesterday afternoon requesting that the scheme outlined four years ago for the erection of new police premises at Petone be put in hand. The members of the deputation were Mr. W. Nash, M.P. for' Hint, and Mr. D. McKenzie, Mayor of Petone.

The scheme provides for police control of the Hutt Valley from Petone. In, 1929 the' then Minister of Justice (Sir Thomas Wilford) visited Petone and agreed that the existing premises were utterly inadequate. He promised to recommend to Cabinet that a new station should be built in the ensuing financial year.

Mr. McKenzie said that the police station, which was 26 feet.by 12 feet and divided into two,, rooms,, accommodated a senior-sergeant, a detective, and six constables. Because of the cramped quarters there was a complete lack of privacy when people brought in their complaints, and in view of the comments made to him on the subject he had felt it his duty to see the member of Parliament .for the district and the Minister. Another inconvenient feature of the present station was that there was no vestibule.1 The grant of £»1000 that was on the Estimates would be just a preliminary amount of the total cost. , ■- . . . ■ :

Plans had "been drawn showing the proposed lay-out of ' the new station and surroundings, Mr. McKenzie' continued. The station would be placed,between tne'courthouse and the residence of Senior-Sergeant C.E. Roach. A 40----foot road would run . from Elizabeth Street over the site of the-pi'esent Station down'to the Recreation- Ground, and on the site of what were'now the policemen's vegetable gardens there would be six police- residences, each with a frontage of 40 feet and'running back 160 feet. .'There would" also be two residences for police purpbpes. at the rear of'ttio station. , .

Replying , to' the deputation, Mr. Cobbe said he admitted freely that the present position was' unsatisfactory, and!"judging from the way in. which' things were developing ,in the Hutt Valley it looked as if'something would have to be done on an extensive scale, probably involving ■ the appointment of an inspector for the district. He under? took to pay a visit, to Petone' next Monday or Tuesday.' , -